Interactive package for display and sale of a gun sight

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a package for the display and sale of a gun sight where the components of the gun sight are arranged such that they are positioned in the same manner and orientation as they would be installed on the a firearm after purchase. The package includes a portion that is formed and illustrated to resemble that portion of a firearm to which a gun sight would be installed. The package includes a protective covering material that is substantially transparent which secures the gun sight components in place to prevent loss and misalignment of the gun sight components. The package also includes a substrate material which has an opening formed in a first section into which the gun sight, the portion of the package resembling a firearm and the protective covering material is inserted. The substrate material is folded in a manner to cause a second section to trap portions of the protective covering material between the first and section sections of the substrate, securing the gun sight beneath the protective covering and forming a package.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate generally to methods of packaging a gun sight in a manner that the gun sight may be demonstrated by holding the packaging at eye level as if one were sighting along the body of a firearm.

Conventionally, methods of packaging consumer products including such items as gun sights, have included cardboard or paper boxes, plastic containers, and methods commonly referred to as a bubble pack or clamshell. Packaging methods using clear plastic or other substantially transparent resin type materials offer the potential purchaser of a product the opportunity to view the actual product rather than relying upon a photograph or other illustration. A product may be affixed under a plastic bubble onto a piece of backing material or substrate, comprised of a material such as heavy paper, cardboard, plastic or other similar materials. When applied to aftermarket gun sights, such methods may allow the potential purchaser to view the product with regard to construction quality, size, and color, but these types of packaging do not allow a potential purchaser of a gun sight to “try-out” the product prior to purchase and installation onto a firearm.

A novel gun sight design may be difficult to understand and appreciate without a demonstration of its advantages over other, less novel, designs. The packaging described herein positions the components of the gun sight in such a way as to allow a potential purchaser to both visualize how the components of the gun sight will appear on graphic representation of a firearm, and also view “through” the components of the gun sight as if they were installed on an actual firearm. This viewing through the components of the gun sight allows a potential purchaser to “self-demonstrate” the gun sight. As a result of this self-demonstration, a potential purchaser will be able to understand the benefits provided by a gun sight and more easily differentiate it from other gun sights available for purchase and also confirm that the gun sight will improve their ability to sight the firearm to which the gun sight may be installed after purchase. Further advantages of the packaging method described herein may be that a potential purchaser can examine the gun sight components from a plurality of views such that they can quickly determine the quality of the product. The resulting interaction with the packaging containing the gun sight may allow a potential purchase to visualize owning and using the gun sight, which may create a sense of product ownership which in turn may increase the likelihood that the potential purchaser will decide to purchase the gun sight.

A first embodiment of the present invention is a package for the display and retail sale of a gun sight where the package incorporates a raised portion that simulates the portion of a firearm whereupon a gun sight would normally be mounted. The components of the gun sight may be situated on the raised portion to convey the appearance that they are mounted on an actual firearm. Such a package may be comprised of a substrate material, a raised portion, and a covering material. The substrate material, which may be formed from heavy paper, cardboard, plastic, or similar materials, may be folded to form at least two sections such that a first section forms the front face of the package and a second section forms the rear face of the package. The first section may have an opening formed in its surface to accept a raised portion and covering material. The raised portion may be formed by folding a sheet material such as paper, cardboard, or plastic. An alternative embodiment of the raised portion may be formed using solid material such as rigid foam, plastic, or wood. The raised portion may be shaped or illustrated such that it appears to be the upper portion of a firearm. Thus constructed, a completed display and sale package may permit a purchaser to view the gun sight components as they would be installed on an actual firearm. A purchaser may also position the display and sale package at eye level such that the purchaser may be able to “sight” through the gun sight components much as if those components were installed on an actual firearm. This provides a unique opportunity for a purchaser to self-demonstrate the features and benefits of a gun sight prior to purchase.

A second embodiment of the present invention is a package for display and retail sale of a gun sight. Such a package may be comprised of a covering that may be a transparent, semi-rigid or rigid plastic or similar material applied to a substrate material. The substrate may be formed from materials such as heavy paper, cardboard, plastic, or similar materials. The substrate material may be imprinted with descriptive or promotional information, which further describes the gun sight or its attributes and benefits to the purchaser. The components of the gun sight may be positioned on the substrate material and held in place by the covering in a manner that allows a potential purchaser to hold the package in such a way that they may be able to view through the gun sight components as if those components were mounted on an actual firearm. By viewing through the components, a potential purchaser may be able to visualize how the gun sight components would appear and perform after purchase and installation on a firearm.

In addition to the novel features and advantages mentioned above, other benefits will be readily apparent from the following descriptions of the drawings and exemplary embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an exemplary package

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a covering material

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a cutout before folding to form a raised structure

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the substrate material before being formed into a package

FIG. 5 is an elevation view of an exemplary package when viewed from the left

FIG. 6 is an elevation view of an exemplary package when viewed from the bottom

FIG. 7 is an elevation view of an exemplary package when viewed from the top

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an exemplary package

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of an exemplary package

FIG. 10 is a bottom plan view of an exemplary package

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a second exemplary package

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT(S)

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are directed to packaging methods, which position a gun sight in a manner that allows a potential purchaser to hold the packaging in a line of sight in such a way as to allow the potential purchaser to view through the components of a gun sight as if they were installed on an actual firearm, an exemplary embodiment of which is shown in FIG. 8 which will be described in more detail below. Gun sights intended to be used with firearms are available in several different configurations including sights that are comprised of a front and rear sight mechanism, optical sights, and sights which utilize a beam of light or other technology to indicate an intended target. The figures and description herein refer to a front and rear gun sight mechanism but one skilled in the art will realize that the devices and methods described herein may be applied to other types of gun sights. The gun sights described herein may be those intended to be installed on a variety of different firearms, including but not limited to, pistols, semi-automatic, rifles, and shotguns.

Referring to FIG. 1, a potential embodiment of the present invention may be comprised of a substrate 120, a substantially transparent covering material 130 covering the front 100 and rear 102 components of the gun sight, and a raised section 140 which incorporates a means for temporarily holding the gun sight components in position relative to one another. In order to provide the potential purchaser with the concept that the front 100 and rear 102 gun sight components are positioned as they may be on an actual firearm, images or shapes may be applied to the substrate 120 such that it appears the gun sight components are attached to an actual firearm. The raised portion 140 may include illustrations or shapes such that the raised portion simulates the portion of a firearm upon which front 100 and rear 102 gun sight components are mounted. The substrate 120 may include illustrations and text to describe the gun sight, provide installation instructions, instructions for use, warranty information, and other information that may be beneficial to a potential purchaser.

The covering material 130 may be formed by folding or molding a substantially transparent material such that the covering material fits closely over the raised portion 140. An exemplary embodiment of a folded covering material 130 before it is folded is shown in FIG. 2. When positioned over the raised portion 140, the covering material 130 may function to hold the front 100 and rear 102 gun sight components in a fixed position on the raised portion. In a potential embodiment of the substrate, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the substrate 120 is folded along a bend line 124 to create a first portion 126, and second portion 128.

To assemble a gun sight into an embodiment of a package as described herein, the front 100 and rear 102 assemblies of the gun sight may be attached to the raised portion 140. The raised portion 140 may be formed by folding a flat material such as heavy paper or cardboard, an exemplary embodiment of a raised portion before it is folded is shown in FIG. 3. A means may be employed to temporarily hold the front 100 and rear 102 gun sight components in position relative to one another when such components are attached to the raised portion 140. Such a means may be an opening in the raised portion, an adhesive material, a fitted covering, or a temporary fastener constructed of plastic, metal or other material sufficient to secure the components of the gun sight in position while a potential purchaser views the packaging and self-demonstrates the gun sight. One embodiment of such a means may be the raised portion 140 being formed with a front 152 and a rear 154 opening to accept front 100 and rear 102 gun sight components. The substantially transparent covering material 130 may be placed over the raised portion 140. The assembly resulting from the combination of the raised portion 140 and the substantially transparent covering material 130 may be inserted into an opening 150 formed in a first portion 126 of the substrate 120. Referring to FIG. 5, which illustrates a left-edge view of an exemplary implementation of the package, the second portion 128 of the substrate 120 may then be folded such that the first portion 126 and the second portion of the substrate are placed in contact with each other. The first portion 126 and second portion 128 may be secured together such that the raised section 140, the gun sight, and the substantially transparent covering material 130 are trapped between the first and second portions of the substrate. Exemplary illustrations of a completed package are shown in perspective in FIG. 8, front plan view in FIG. 9, and rear plan view in FIG. 10.

A potential purchaser may self-demonstrate a gun sight packaged in a manner described herein by holding the substrate 120 up to eye-level and viewing (“sighting”) through a covering material 130, the front 100, and the rear 102 components of the gun sight, as is illustrated in the end view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 6. In this manner, a potential purchaser may experience how the gun sight may appear when installed on an actual firearm. FIG. 7 illustrates a view of the opposite end of the same embodiment as shown in FIG. 6.

Referring to FIG. 11, a gun sight comprised of a front 100, and rear 102 components may be attached to a substrate 120. The substrate 120 may be comprised of heavy paper, cardboard, plastic, or a similar material. The front 100 and rear 102 components may be attached to the substrate 120 in a position that approximates their position when installed on an actual firearm. A perforation, clip, temporary adhesive or other means may be used to attach the front 100 and rear 102 gun sight components to the substrate 120.

Gun sight components placed upon substrate 120 may be covered by a substantially transparent material 132, an example of which may be plastic sheeting, in order to protect the gun sight and prevent removal prior to purchase. This transparent material 132 may be affixed to the substrate 120 to provide a means for holding the gun sight components in position to approximate their installed position as described earlier. The substantially transparent material may be comprised of a single section of such material which covers both front 100 and rear 102 components of the gun sight or may be comprised of two or more sections to cover each component and may also cover accessories included with the gun sight. In another embodiment, an enclosed, essentially flat package may be formed when an additional piece of substantially transparent material is applied to the rear face of the substrate. The substantially transparent material applied to the rear face may be placed in contact around an outer edge of a substantially transparent material covering the front face of the substrate which is formed in a manner such as previously described that allows a potential purchaser to view through front and rear components of a gun sight in order to self-demonstrate the gun sight. The front and rear substantially transparent materials may be attached to each other so as to provide a means of securing the substrate and gun sight components to prevent loss or theft. An opening may be formed in to allow the assembly to be mounted to or suspended from a retail display.

Any embodiment of the present invention may include any of the optional or preferred features of the other embodiments of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments herein disclosed are not intended to be exhaustive or to unnecessarily limit the scope of the invention. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the present invention so that others skilled in the art may practice the invention. Having shown and described exemplary embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will realize that many variations and modifications may be made to the described invention. Many of those variations and modifications will provide the same result and fall within the spirit of the claimed invention. It is the intention, therefore, to limit the invention only as indicated by the scope of the claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A packaging apparatus, comprising: a substrate; a raised platform mount on said substrate for simulating the barrel of a gun, said platform adapted to secure a gun sight thereon; and a cover adapted to fit over said gun sight and said platform, said cover enabling said gun sight to be viewed as if it was mounted on a gun barrel.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said substrate is substantially flat, and upon which said platform rests.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cover is a substantially transparent material placed over said platform and affixed to the substrate.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said raised platform includes a first location for mounting a front component of a gun sight and a second location for mounting a rear component of said gun sight.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 where, the raised platform resembles the upper portion of a firearm whereupon a gun sight is mounted in an intended installation on an actual firearm.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein, the top surface of the platform is positioned at a level higher relative to the plane of the substrate.
 7. A packaging apparatus, comprising: a substrate; and a cover adapted to fit over a gun sight, said cover enabling said gun sight to be viewed as if it was mounted on a gun barrel.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising: a fold along a bend line formed in said substrate, such that an upper and lower section of substrate results; an opening in said upper section of the substrate; and said cover for said gun sight formed such that it protrudes through said opening in said upper section of said substrate.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8, where said cover is substantially transparent.
 10. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising: a raised structure upon which is positioned a means for temporarily securing said gun sight.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising: a fold along a bend line formed in said substrate, such that an upper and lower section of substrate results; an opening in said upper section of the substrate; and said cover for said gun sight formed such that it protrudes through said opening in said upper section of said substrate and covers said raised structure.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11, where said cover is substantially transparent.
 13. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: a substantially transparent covering such that the covering forms a front and a back section; and said substrate material and said raised platform are held in position between the front and back section of the transparent covering;
 14. A method for packaging a gun sight which allows a user to sight through the respective components while the gun sight is in a packaged condition, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining an enclosing package; obtaining a means for securing the first and second gun sight components to the enclosing package; and securing the first and second components of the gun sight components to the enclosing package in an aligned condition relative to each other and the enclosing package; and securing the enclosing packaging to itself to create an enclosure.
 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of: obtaining a raised portion which resembles the portion of a firearm upon which the gun sight components are positioned on an actual firearm; securing the first and second components to the raised portion in an aligned condition relative to each other; and positioning the raised portion relative to the enclosed package such that it is contained within the enclosed package when the enclosed packaging is secured to itself to create an enclosure.
 16. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of: obtaining a substrate; folding the substrate to create a raised portion such that the raised portion is positioned at a higher level relative to the plane of the remaining substrate; securing the first and second components to the raised portion in an aligned condition relative to one another; and positioning the raised portion relative to the enclosed packaging such that it is contained within the enclosed package when the enclosed packaging is secured to itself to create an enclosure.
 17. An apparatus comprising: a raised structure formed and illustrated to simulate the appearance of a portion of a handgun; a means for temporarily affixing gun sight components to a raised structure in the approximate position that such components would normally be mounted on an actual handgun; a substantially transparent covering applied to the raised structure to secure said gun sight components in position and allowing a view through said gun sight components; a substrate material with a first portion having an opening through which the raised portion protrudes with a fold to create a second portion of the substrate material; and said second portion of substrate material being folded in a manner to trap the edges of the substantially transparent covering between the first and second portions of the substrate material. 